Total pages in book: 145
Estimated words: 133975 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 670(@200wpm)___ 536(@250wpm)___ 447(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 133975 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 670(@200wpm)___ 536(@250wpm)___ 447(@300wpm)
Ambush and Cobra exchanged a long look. Burrito cursed. “I knew something was off,” he said. “I told you, Ambush. Had a bad feeling from the start.”
“I was very direct with you, told you we don’t tolerate human trafficking. Don’t care how much money it makes, every last one of us went through that, and we’re not about to put others through that same hell,” Czar continued. “When your club voted to be patched over, was that made clear to every member?”
“Once in Torpedo Ink”—Absinthe took over, letting ranking members of Rampage know the rules—“if you screw up, it’s permanent. That was carefully explained as well. The benefits are we handle paperwork and smooth out the future for you, but the expectation of strictly following the rules was laid out, with the consequences of what would happen if any member fucked up. We don’t play.”
“We’re used to those rules,” Ambush said. “We’ve lived by them our entire lives. We’re comfortable with knowing what’s expected. Every one of us agreed with no human trafficking.”
“Does that include your newest member?” Czar asked. “He joined nearly a year ago.”
“Dragon?” Ambush asked. “His name is Mir Kuzmin. He goes by Dragon. He attended two of Sorbacov’s schools, rotating like most of us between them. I knew him, but not well. One of our members, Luka Morozov—Dementor, if you’ve met him—knew Mir very well. They’re good friends. Dementor vouched for him.”
“You don’t seem too surprised that we’re asking about him,” Czar said.
It was Burrito, the VP, who answered. “I’ve had a difficult time with him and said so on several occasions to Ambush and Cobra. I never could put my finger on it, but he seemed to be secretly smug. Acted like he was above everyone else, even Dementor. But then he always seemed a little arrogant, even in the schools.”
“Dementor changed,” Cobra volunteered. “Dragon’s secret smug arrogance rubbed off on him. He was decent enough until Dragon came on board.”
“And yet you didn’t mention your concerns,” Absinthe said.
Ambush shrugged. “They were my problem. At the time, we weren’t concerned with traitors or human trafficking. It isn’t as if we don’t all have issues. And Burrito felt his arrogance could have been a coping mechanism. Some had it worse than others, as you well know.”
Absinthe nodded his head as his gaze flicked to Czar, indicating Ambush was telling the truth as he saw it.
“We’ll be talking to your two men in a more private setting. They might not be joining you after,” Czar said. “Are you good with that? Will we have trouble with any of your members?”
Ambush sighed and spread his fingers wide, hands in front of him. “They voted. As far as we were all concerned, we were already Torpedo Ink. That vote means they agreed to abide by the laws of the club. If we have betrayers, they have to be dealt with.”
“Do either of those men have family?”
“Dementor doesn’t,” Burrito said. “I thought we were his family.”
“Dragon did, or does,” Burrito added. “I remember them from the schools. I was a couple of years older, so not attending the same classes, but once in a while I’d see them together.”
“Savage, you and Cobra ensure our two guests come to the meeting. Ambush, it’s up to you who you want to attend,” Czar said, pushing away from the table. “But they’re your brothers. You have the right to hear their defense. Hopefully, we’re wrong.”
“Is there a chance that you are?” Ambush asked.
Hearing the question, Keys knew the president of Rampage was well aware of Czar’s reputation as far back as the schools in Russia. Many of the students believed that he could look into a man’s soul and see his darkest secrets. He would know if that person was capable of a betrayal. He would see into the future when that betrayal happened. All of the Torpedo Ink members believed Czar was capable of such things. They’d witnessed it.
“There’s always an outside chance,” Czar said. “In cases such as this one, I hope I’m wrong. Let’s get it over.” He hesitated, shook his head and rose.
They think they’re ruthless. Czar sent the message telepathically to his brethren. We’re wolves and always will be. We formed our pack and hunt, and we don’t stop until we’ve taken down our prey using every method possible. They’re trained assassins, but they have no idea what they’re getting into. This will be an eye-opener.
And a test, Keys knew. The other schools had been brutal in their training, but they didn’t even come close to what the members of Torpedo Ink had been through. They’d learned to kill their enemies, all adults, when they were as young as five. Brutal couldn’t describe the atrocities that had been done to them, but out of two hundred and eighty-seven children over the years, there were only eighteen that survived, unless you counted Destroyer, who was only there for a short period of time. He had his own hell he’d lived through.